Abstract The genus Chromothericles is reviewed. Data on distribution, habitat and ecology are given for most species and four species new to science described. Along with a key to all species (excepting C. pulchripes Descamps, for which only the female is known), phenological data are provided for C. uguenoensis n. sp. and C. kanga Sjostedt. I discuss climatic fluctuations of the past as the driving force for patterns of allopatric speciation found in several flightless Saltatoria taxa in East Africa.